by Mr. W Wilson

Created on: May 22, 2010   Last Updated: May 23, 2010

Making a decision about whether or not to trust the media really comes from what stance you take.  If you are looking for something to talk about with friends, family, stangers on the bus, barbers, you name it, then you will have no problem with the mainstream media.  If you need to know what is happening in the NBA, NFL, MLB, or NHL then you are in the right place. 

On the other hand, if you sense a distrubance in the force, if you have tried to connect the dots and realized they cannot be connected, then you are one step closer to becoming truly informed.

The first question you must ask yourself when debating the validity of the media is, what does it mean to be "truly informed"?  In George Orwell's dystopian novel, 1984, total information control leaves the general public, the proles, at complete informational mercy of those in power. 

To answer this first question you must ask yourself this: do I really care if Brittany Spears was caught nude in public, do I really care if Bill Clinton had an affair with Monica Lewinsky?  Your answer is NO! 

Fact number one about mainstream media: although in most cases they will tell you the truth, it is always a half truth meant to throw you off the scent of the real truth.

In 1984, a form of controlling history leads all the people of Oceania to believe in the fictitious history while forgetting what they knew to be true in the past.  Earlier today the Bill Clinton topic was brought up for discussion between my collegiate group of proles. 

It seems the general concensus about him is that is was a great president that had an affair.  I then asked these proles, classmates of mine, "What was it that made him so great"?  Not a single answer came from the lot of them. 

Immediately following the 9/11 attacks, there was a flurry of reasons given to support the invasion of the Middle East, each one given after the another and each one believed to be the true reason for invasion. 

First came, "Oh we must retaliate against those who wish to harm peace"!  Then came, "We must find this rich politician (Bin Laden) who is for some reason hiding in a hole"! 

Next we believed that we were trying to bring democracy to a long since divided land.  The fact that the land was overly abundant with oil was just the cherry on top of war's whipped cream, the mashed potatoes next to the invasion steak.

To want to be truly informed, you

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